SAN JOSE — The plan was to get on a plane back to Pittsburgh and gear up for what would have been Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Instead, all the Sharks could do Monday morning was gather at their practice facility, take some time to reflect on their remarkable playoff run and somehow accept that their historic season was over.

“We have such a good group. You just don’t want this thing to end,” Sharks center Joe Thornton said. “We really thought we could get this thing to Game 7, and you never know what could happen.

“It’s just a weird feeling that all of a sudden you’re done with hockey. It just comes to an end.”

There were no tears shed by the Sharks on Monday, nothing visible when they met with reporters, anyway. But clearly the wounds were still fresh less then 16 hours after a Game 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins ended their two-month quest to capture the Cup.

“A lot of pride, a lot of proud feelings toward people, but it stings,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. “It may lessen as the summer goes forward, but sitting here right now I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting.”

The Sharks got together for their final team meeting. Players packed up their gear and signed some memorabilia such as souvenir sticks and pucks before they headed off to begin the shortest offseason most of them have ever experienced.

A few players, including Thornton, Brent Burns and Patrick Marleau, still had their beards. Others like Logan Couture brought out the razor.

But after eight weeks of largely being in the same routine, a lot of players were still trying to figure out what to do next.

“Try and rest up for about a week or so and maybe start doing a little something to get back into it,” Marleau said.

From missing the playoffs in 2015 to being two wins away from capturing the Stanley Cup, the Sharks exceeded most expectations as they advanced to the Final for the first time and re-energized a fervent fan base.

The Sharks finished the playoffs with a 14-10 record, which included an 8-4 mark at SAP Center, as they beat the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues to win the Western Conference.

But they ran into a buzzsaw in the Penguins. Led by Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sidney Crosby, they lost back-to-back games only once in the postseason. They trailed for just 45:13 in the six-game Cup Final.

“When you’ve got the lead, when we’ve had the lead in the playoffs, and we did it for the majority of the playoffs going into the Final, you can play differently, especially if you can skate,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said.

“You don’t have to take chances, you don’t have to get outside the box, you can defend first and then capitalize on the other team trying to push.”

The Sharks lost Game 1 on a late third period goal by Penguins center Nick Bonino and fell into a deeper hole when forward Conor Sheary scored just 2:35 into overtime of Game 2.

“Not only you don’t have the lead, you’re chasing the series at that point,” DeBoer said. “I don’t know what we would have done differently, but those are two things that I think definitely played a factor.”

It’s highly unlikely the Sharks will have the exact same roster next season. Three players — Nick Spaling, Roman Polak and James Reimer, who dressed for all 24 playoff games — are slated to become unrestricted free agents July 1. Dainius Zubrus, also a free agent to be, might have played his last game with the Sharks.

By the time the regular season opens in October, the Sharks will likely have four players 35 or older on the roster. Several players — Couture, Burns, Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic — remain in their prime.

Plus, an infusion of young talent, led by a franchise goalie in Martin Jones and a versatile forward in Joonas Donskoi, gives the Sharks hope that they can experience another run like this one.

“It was fun,” Couture said. “To sit back and say that you played in the Stanley Cup Final, you want to do it again, because it was so much fun.”

SAN JOSE — The plan was to get on a plane back to Pittsburgh and gear up for what would have been Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Instead, all the Sharks could do Monday morning was gather at their practice facility, take some time to reflect on their remarkable playoff run and somehow accept that their historic season was over.

“We have such a good group. You just don’t want this thing to end,” Sharks center Joe Thornton said. “We really thought we could get this thing to Game 7, and you never know what could happen.

“It’s just a weird feeling that all of a sudden you’re done with hockey. It just comes to an end.”

There were no tears shed by the Sharks on Monday, nothing visible when they met with reporters, anyway. But clearly the wounds were still fresh less then 16 hours after a Game 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins ended their two-month quest to capture the Cup.

“A lot of pride, a lot of proud feelings toward people, but it stings,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. “It may lessen as the summer goes forward, but sitting here right now I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting.”

The Sharks got together for their final team meeting. Players packed up their gear and signed some memorabilia such as souvenir sticks and pucks before they headed off to begin the shortest offseason most of them have ever experienced.

A few players, including Thornton, Brent Burns and Patrick Marleau, still had their beards. Others like Logan Couture brought out the razor.

But after eight weeks of largely being in the same routine, a lot of players were still trying to figure out what to do next.

“Try and rest up for about a week or so and maybe start doing a little something to get back into it,” Marleau said.

From missing the playoffs in 2015 to being two wins away from capturing the Stanley Cup, the Sharks exceeded most expectations as they advanced to the Final for the first time and re-energized a fervent fan base.

The Sharks finished the playoffs with a 14-10 record, which included an 8-4 mark at SAP Center, as they beat the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues to win the Western Conference.

But they ran into a buzzsaw in the Penguins. Led by Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sidney Crosby, they lost back-to-back games only once in the postseason. They trailed for just 45:13 in the six-game Cup Final.

“When you’ve got the lead, when we’ve had the lead in the playoffs, and we did it for the majority of the playoffs going into the Final, you can play differently, especially if you can skate,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said.

“You don’t have to take chances, you don’t have to get outside the box, you can defend first and then capitalize on the other team trying to push.”

The Sharks lost Game 1 on a late third period goal by Penguins center Nick Bonino and fell into a deeper hole when forward Conor Sheary scored just 2:35 into overtime of Game 2.

“Not only you don’t have the lead, you’re chasing the series at that point,” DeBoer said. “I don’t know what we would have done differently, but those are two things that I think definitely played a factor.”

It’s highly unlikely the Sharks will have the exact same roster next season. Three players — Nick Spaling, Roman Polak and James Reimer, who dressed for all 24 playoff games — are slated to become unrestricted free agents July 1. Dainius Zubrus, also a free agent to be, might have played his last game with the Sharks.

By the time the regular season opens in October, the Sharks will likely have four players 35 or older on the roster. Several players — Couture, Burns, Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic — remain in their prime.

Plus, an infusion of young talent, led by a franchise goalie in Martin Jones and a versatile forward in Joonas Donskoi, gives the Sharks hope that they can experience another run like this one.

“It was fun,” Couture said. “To sit back and say that you played in the Stanley Cup Final, you want to do it again, because it was so much fun.”

SAN JOSE — The plan was to get on a plane back to Pittsburgh and gear up for what would have been Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Instead, all the Sharks could do Monday morning was gather at their practice facility, take some time to reflect on their remarkable playoff run and somehow accept that their historic season was over.

“We have such a good group. You just don’t want this thing to end,” Sharks center Joe Thornton said. “We really thought we could get this thing to Game 7, and you never know what could happen.

“It’s just a weird feeling that all of a sudden you’re done with hockey. It just comes to an end.”

There were no tears shed by the Sharks on Monday, nothing visible when they met with reporters, anyway. But clearly the wounds were still fresh less then 16 hours after a Game 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins ended their two-month quest to capture the Cup.

“A lot of pride, a lot of proud feelings toward people, but it stings,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. “It may lessen as the summer goes forward, but sitting here right now I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting.”

The Sharks got together for their final team meeting. Players packed up their gear and signed some memorabilia such as souvenir sticks and pucks before they headed off to begin the shortest offseason most of them have ever experienced.

A few players, including Thornton, Brent Burns and Patrick Marleau, still had their beards. Others like Logan Couture brought out the razor.

But after eight weeks of largely being in the same routine, a lot of players were still trying to figure out what to do next.

“Try and rest up for about a week or so and maybe start doing a little something to get back into it,” Marleau said.

From missing the playoffs in 2015 to being two wins away from capturing the Stanley Cup, the Sharks exceeded most expectations as they advanced to the Final for the first time and re-energized a fervent fan base.

The Sharks finished the playoffs with a 14-10 record, which included an 8-4 mark at SAP Center, as they beat the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues to win the Western Conference.

But they ran into a buzzsaw in the Penguins. Led by Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sidney Crosby, they lost back-to-back games only once in the postseason. They trailed for just 45:13 in the six-game Cup Final.

“When you’ve got the lead, when we’ve had the lead in the playoffs, and we did it for the majority of the playoffs going into the Final, you can play differently, especially if you can skate,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said.

“You don’t have to take chances, you don’t have to get outside the box, you can defend first and then capitalize on the other team trying to push.”

The Sharks lost Game 1 on a late third period goal by Penguins center Nick Bonino and fell into a deeper hole when forward Conor Sheary scored just 2:35 into overtime of Game 2.

“Not only you don’t have the lead, you’re chasing the series at that point,” DeBoer said. “I don’t know what we would have done differently, but those are two things that I think definitely played a factor.”

It’s highly unlikely the Sharks will have the exact same roster next season. Three players — Nick Spaling, Roman Polak and James Reimer, who dressed for all 24 playoff games — are slated to become unrestricted free agents July 1. Dainius Zubrus, also a free agent to be, might have played his last game with the Sharks.

By the time the regular season opens in October, the Sharks will likely have four players 35 or older on the roster. Several players — Couture, Burns, Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic — remain in their prime.

Plus, an infusion of young talent, led by a franchise goalie in Martin Jones and a versatile forward in Joonas Donskoi, gives the Sharks hope that they can experience another run like this one.

“It was fun,” Couture said. “To sit back and say that you played in the Stanley Cup Final, you want to do it again, because it was so much fun.”

SAN JOSE — The plan was to get on a plane back to Pittsburgh and gear up for what would have been Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Instead, all the Sharks could do Monday morning was gather at their practice facility, take some time to reflect on their remarkable playoff run and somehow accept that their historic season was over.

“We have such a good group. You just don’t want this thing to end,” Sharks center Joe Thornton said. “We really thought we could get this thing to Game 7, and you never know what could happen.

“It’s just a weird feeling that all of a sudden you’re done with hockey. It just comes to an end.”

There were no tears shed by the Sharks on Monday, nothing visible when they met with reporters, anyway. But clearly the wounds were still fresh less then 16 hours after a Game 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins ended their two-month quest to capture the Cup.

“A lot of pride, a lot of proud feelings toward people, but it stings,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. “It may lessen as the summer goes forward, but sitting here right now I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting.”

The Sharks got together for their final team meeting. Players packed up their gear and signed some memorabilia such as souvenir sticks and pucks before they headed off to begin the shortest offseason most of them have ever experienced.

A few players, including Thornton, Brent Burns and Patrick Marleau, still had their beards. Others like Logan Couture brought out the razor.

But after eight weeks of largely being in the same routine, a lot of players were still trying to figure out what to do next.

“Try and rest up for about a week or so and maybe start doing a little something to get back into it,” Marleau said.

From missing the playoffs in 2015 to being two wins away from capturing the Stanley Cup, the Sharks exceeded most expectations as they advanced to the Final for the first time and re-energized a fervent fan base.

The Sharks finished the playoffs with a 14-10 record, which included an 8-4 mark at SAP Center, as they beat the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues to win the Western Conference.

But they ran into a buzzsaw in the Penguins. Led by Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sidney Crosby, they lost back-to-back games only once in the postseason. They trailed for just 45:13 in the six-game Cup Final.

“When you’ve got the lead, when we’ve had the lead in the playoffs, and we did it for the majority of the playoffs going into the Final, you can play differently, especially if you can skate,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said.

“You don’t have to take chances, you don’t have to get outside the box, you can defend first and then capitalize on the other team trying to push.”

The Sharks lost Game 1 on a late third period goal by Penguins center Nick Bonino and fell into a deeper hole when forward Conor Sheary scored just 2:35 into overtime of Game 2.

“Not only you don’t have the lead, you’re chasing the series at that point,” DeBoer said. “I don’t know what we would have done differently, but those are two things that I think definitely played a factor.”

It’s highly unlikely the Sharks will have the exact same roster next season. Three players — Nick Spaling, Roman Polak and James Reimer, who dressed for all 24 playoff games — are slated to become unrestricted free agents July 1. Dainius Zubrus, also a free agent to be, might have played his last game with the Sharks.

By the time the regular season opens in October, the Sharks will likely have four players 35 or older on the roster. Several players — Couture, Burns, Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic — remain in their prime.

Plus, an infusion of young talent, led by a franchise goalie in Martin Jones and a versatile forward in Joonas Donskoi, gives the Sharks hope that they can experience another run like this one.

“It was fun,” Couture said. “To sit back and say that you played in the Stanley Cup Final, you want to do it again, because it was so much fun.”